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Three Smithville Stores May Soon Be Allowed to Start Selling Beer Again

January 12, 2011

by:

Dwayne Page

Three Smithville businesses may be allowed to start selling beer again within a few days

The owners of Jewel's Market on South Congress Boulevard, Village Market on North Congress Boulevard, and El Mariachi on West Broad Street have been prohibited from selling beer since the Smithville Beer Board suspended their licenses for 90 days on October 14th. All three owners were found in violation of the city's beer ordinance which prohibits the sale of alcohol to a person under the age of 21.

Smithville Police Chief Randy Caplinger, in presenting his case against the stores to the beer board in October, explained that a confidential underage informant was sent into all locations that sell beer in Smithville on Friday, August 27th. In each case, Chief Caplinger said the informant, who is 18 years of age, presented his ID and tried to buy beer. He was successful only at these three stores, Jewel's Market, El Mariachi, and at Village Market.

If the store owners are caught violating the ordinance again, they could lose their beer licenses permanently. City Attorney Vester Parsley, Jr. said " The ordinance says upon the finding of any violation by any permit holder, the punishment for the first offense shall be a minimum suspension of the beer permit for a period of ninety days. Upon any permit holder committing a violation a second time, the punishment shall be the revocation of the beer license."